Australian sheep farmers furious with government decision to ban live sheep exports
A HUGE row has blown up in Western Australia following the government’s decision to ban live sheep exports by May 1, 2028, ultimately pushing farmers out of business.
The government has been trying to introduce the ban for a number of years, fueled by activists groups condemning the practice which has put Australian animal welfare firmly under the spotlight.
Following a number of incidents regarding livestock on ships to export markets, the government has been somewhat pressured into bowing to the wishes of the minorities.
The live sheep export industry, in particular, was hit by controversy in 2018 when footage revealed a significant number of sheep had died aboard livestock vessels due to overcrowding and excessive heat.
The bold step to ban live sheep exports is hitting harder in Western Australia as it is the biggest player in live exports abroad. It accounts for almost all of the nation’s live sheep exports, an industry valued about $85.2 million.
Scanning the stats
Taking a forensic look at the statistics from Meat and Livestock Australia, live sheep exports by sea in 2023 increased 22% or 107,191 head to 593,514. This is the only annual increase live sheep export numbers have had in the last five years and the largest year since 2020.
For the fourth year in a row, Kuwait was the largest importer of live Australian sheep by sea, receiving 271,162 head in 2023 making up 46% of total sheep exports.
Kuwait was followed by Israel, importing 16% of live sheep exports, or 94,000 feeder animals. Jordan, the third largest importer of sheep in 2023, had the largest jump in exports, increasing by 411%, or 84,376 head year-on-year. The UAE, Oman and Qatar remained in the mix, importing a combined 25% (143,876) of the market
Live cattle exports by sea increased 12% or 73,612 head from 597,179 in 2022 to 670,791 in 2023.
Indonesia remained the top importer of live cattle by sea in 2023, with 359,305, or 54% of live exports going into their predominantly feeder market. These numbers remained relatively stable year-on-year, rising just 6%.
Vietnam imported 19% of total live cattle exports by sea, or 126,930, split between slaughter, breeder and feeder cattle, a 118% increase to 2022 exports to the country.
China imported 12% of exports at 78,723, a 44% drop on 2022 export numbers. Israel has the largest year-to-year shift lifting export numbers by 149% to 68,393 head, 10% of total live cattle exports by sea.
Countries importing the remaining 6% (37,440) were Malaysia, Jordan, Brunei Darussalam, Sarawak, Thailand, Sabah, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
Minister under fire
Announcing the ban, Minister for agriculture, fisheries and forestry, Murray Watt, highlighted the decline of the live sheep export industry over the years, with exports dropping from AUD$415 million in 2002-2003 to AUD$77 million in 2022-2023.
The Minister has come under fire from farmers who blame him for ruining the acclaimed $1 billion industry forcing many of them out of business. They said the ban would also ‘rip the heart out of many rural towns’ that depend on farmers, truckies (“truckers”), shearers and many others working in the sector.
On the flipside, the move has been welcomed by a number of animal welfare bodies including Compassion in World Farming.
It said: “We welcome the news that the Australian government has finally announced an end date for the export of live sheep by sea.
“The current government pledged to end the trade when it came to power in 2022. Since then, we, along with many local and global animal welfare groups, have been waiting for a date for the practice to be outlawed.
“The Australian live exports industry has made international headlines recently, with a number of high-profile incidents highlighting the cruelty suffered by farmed animals on these journeys.”
Pitiful aid package
The Australian government did announce a federal transition support package of AUD$107 million over five years to facilitate the phase-out, but industry leaders say this is nowhere near enough to compensate for the loss.
Minister Watt said: “Importantly, it will be available to help all parts of the sheep industry supply chain, from farmers, to truckies, to shearers and processors.
“We want to ensure those affected by the phase are well-positioned, resilient and ready when the trade ends in 2028,”
John Hassell, president of the Western Australia Farmers Federation, and a sheep farmer from Pingelly, said: “At the moment we are facing attack from the Federal Government based on activism by well-funded animal activists. This means we are having policy by populism.
“The really sad part about this is, it means that every part of every industry is going to be under potential attack from minority activists groups.
“We simply can’t afford to capitulate in this one because it will affect everybody in the long run. We are asking all sheep producers in Western Australia to help fight the government on this particular issue.”
National Farmers Federation President and farmer David Jochinke warns that unless MPs and senators do their homework, they are likely to fall victim to a highly effective misinformation campaign by animal activists.
David said: “Activists want you to think this industry hasn’t changed. They want you to think that the ghastly scenes seared in our memories from many years back are still true today. That is completely false.
“The fact is we haven’t had a serious welfare incident on water since sweeping reforms more than seven years ago.
“Banning live sheep exports means banning something that does a huge amount of good. Australia’s trade sets the global standard for animal welfare; gets safe, affordable protein to those in need; and supports thousands of jobs in Western Australia.”
Mr Jochinke cautioned that by endorsing this ban, parliament would be supporting groups whose stated objective was to end animal agriculture.
He added: “If you look at the industry today, its animal welfare outcomes are gold standard. You ban that, and you put wind in the sails of groups who are openly campaigning for an end to livestock farming.
“Unless you and the people you represent agree with an end to livestock production in Australia, listen to the farmers, not the fanatics.
“I think the Government has underestimated how hard the industry will fight for this. This isn’t just about live export. This is about regulation based on science and evidence rather than activist misinformation. It’s a principal and a precedent industry will stand on,” he said.
Meanwhile, almost 2,000 trucks and farm vehicles descended on the business district of the city of Perth in Western Australia in protest over the ban.
Farmers fear that this ban on live sheep exports may set a precedent for the government to ban live cattle exports, and that would be another massive blow to Australian farming.
